Machu Picchu & other amazing places – Cruise.co escorted tour.

Last month I was lucky enough to join some Cruise.co.uk guests on the Peru part of an Ultimate South America tour. Peru had previously been in a state of unrest and tourist sites had been closed.
Whilst the troubles were over we joined our guests in a purely precautionary move. To be there to offer reassurance and to be able to quickly rearrange things if the situation escalated again. Fortunately everything remained calm and we all had the most amazing trip.

The tour started in Lima which is a city that none of us knew much about and were all very surprised by. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Spanish colonial history is evident in an abundance of beautiful buildings. It was the cleanest city I have ever visited without a spot of litter anywhere and also a chaotic city, rivalling Paris and Rome for crazy drivers. The front seat of the bus is not for the faint hearted!

Moving on from Lima we flew out to Cusco and transferred to the Sacred Valley, home of the ancient Inca people. With elevations over 3000m above sea level Cusco can cause altitude sickness and you can feel a little light headed and sleepy on the coach. However Lima Tours use only local tour guides and their knowledge and enthusiasm was immense. In Peru, tour guiding is a profession and guides have to be university educated and qualified. As we wound our way through the Andes, I learnt so much from our guide Max about the history and culture of the area.

The highlight of this day was the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. It is the only place in Peru that defeated the Spanish army and is a leading example of Inca architecture. Now operated as a living museum, the town’s inhabitants cannot renovate their homes to modern standards and live as a community celebrating the Inca way of life. Overlooking the town are the sophisticated stone ruins of the ceremonial centre. For the more physically fit a 45 minute walk around the hillside gives amazing rewards with views of the old store houses and across the town into the valley. Whilst those unable to manage the steps can wander around the lower ruins, terraces and colourful markets of Ollantaytambo.

The day ended with a train journey through the Sacred Valley arriving at our hotel in Aguas Caliente in the dark. This gave way to my favourite morning of the trip when I opened the curtains and saw that we were in the middle of the rainforest. The jungle as it was referred to by the guides was simply stunning, I have always wanted to visit a rainforest and now I was finally there. Unfortunately there were no tropical birds or monkey’s outside of my window so I still have Costa Rica or the Amazon on my to do list.

The tropical rain of the morning added to my enjoyment and as we made our way to Machu Picchu the clouds clinging to the trees were surreal. It was just like being in a movie. Machu Picchu can be reached via the 4 day Inca trail but for those with less time and energy you can arrive by bus. There is the a choice between two 20-25 minute walks. I chose the harder, steeper incline which involved a number of steps. The guides take is slowly though and the walk is broken up along the way to marvel at the view and learn all about the history of the Inca people and those that rediscovered Machu Picchu.

The steeper walk takes you up above the ancient ruins and the views are truly breathtaking. The rain stopped as we reached the summit and the clouds cleared to fully display the magnificent Andes surrounding the World Heritage Site. No amount of looking at photos could have prepared me for this sight. The way the site had lay undiscovered for so many years and the careful way that it has been preserved makes it a masterpiece of architecture. With the backdrop of the mountains, enveloping and protecting the area, it is clear to see why it was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Our escorted tour ended with a stay in Cusco. This sprawling city that has twice been devastated by earthquakes offers a fantastic mix of the old and the new. Once again Max imparted his knowledge as we toured an Alpaca farm and the Cusco Cathedral before being let loose in the city to buy souvenirs and sample the Peruvian delicacies of guinea pig (I didn’t!) and Pisco sour, a delicious local cocktail (I did!)

This tour truly was a once in a lifetime trip, the people of Peru are so friendly and welcoming and the country has so much culture and history. I can confidently recommend this as a pre or post cruise tour. The guests that I travelled with all had an amazing time. They had sailed around South America, stayed in Rio and Iguazu and seen so much but the majority had booked their holiday for the chance to see Machu Picchu. No one was disappointed.

Finally I would like to thank Cruise.co for this opportunity and also the Lima Tours guides who made the trip so memorable.